Not long ago, the new ACLU director stated that legalizing marijuana is “a racial justice issue.” He noted that in New Jersey you’re three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession if you’re black. In Pennsylvania, blacks are eight times as likely to be arrested for possessing marijuana.

In Kentucky, one former police chief said forget about arresting black people for smoking weed…instructing new recruits just to shoot them instead.

Todd Shaw had served as assistant police chief in Prospect, Kentucky for 25 years. Until Shaw was recently investigated on interfering on a sexual assault case, he had a clean record serving his community. During the investigation, Facebook messages sent to new recruits by Shaw were discovered that said to shoot black kids if they were caught smoking marijuana.

Prospect Mayor John Evans, who after reading the messages said he had “serious concerns” about Shaw, stated “the city finds the content of the messages to be abhorrent, disgusting, and reprehensible.”

In a 2016 message, a new recruit inquired with Shaw about the policy for coming across teens smoking marijuana.

Shaw however, didn’t stop there. He followed by saying the recruit should have sex with the dead teen’s parents. “Unless,” Shaw stated, “daddy is black…then shoot him.”

Other messages revealed Shaw’s deep racist feelings towards people of color. In one message, he bashed Martin Luther King Jr., calling him a racist womanizer. “Because someone shot him, I get a day off with pay each year.”

Shaw’s lawyer, Michael Burns, insists he was just “playing” with the messages he sent.

“Mr. Shaw,” said Burns, “held a distinguished career in law enforcement for nearly 30 years. Throughout his career, he treated all people fairly and respectfully regardless of their race.”

Sure he did.

In Louisville, where Shaw worked for more than 20 years before serving with Prospect police, Police Chief Steve Conrad expressed his disgust over Shaw’s messages.

“Any person who holds these thoughts,” said Conrad, “has no business ever donning a uniform and representing those who have sworn to serve every member of every community.”

Perhaps Snoop Dogg said it best over Instagram when he wrote, “Expose his bitch ass.”

Jen Keehn is a Colorado-based writer intent on inspiring others to live their best lives. She writes regularly about medical and recreational cannabis, holistic health, addiction, and psychedelic therapy.